Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner recently reflected on the monumental 50th anniversary of the band’s landmark 1976 album, Sad Wings Of Destiny. Speaking with J.J. Caithcart on “Different Stages Radio,” the guitarist discussed the enduring legacy of the record, which introduced heavy metal anthems like “Victim Of Changes”, “The Ripper”, “Tyrant”, and “Dreamer Deceiver”.
Highlighting the historical importance of the album for the band’s sonic evolution, Richie Faulkner stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth):
“Oh, it’s massive, isn’t it? Any Priest fan will tell you. It is the second record of their career, after Rocka Rolla. [Priest guitarist Glenn] Tipton started coming into play on the second record. And you got behemoths like ‘Victim Of Changes‘ and ‘The Ripper‘, ‘Island Of Domination‘, ‘Tyrant‘. I mean, they really started to solidify that sound on that record. And I think it’s a really important one for the band, in terms of songwriting and sound, and for the fans as well. I think if you ask any fan, that’s gonna be up there in their top five records, of Priest records.”
To celebrate the milestone, the guitarist confirmed that the band plans to incorporate more material from the classic LP into their upcoming live shows.
“We’re going out on the road in the summer. So we have to revisit some of those songs, obviously, to pay respects to it. So that’s gonna be great,” he added.
Asked if there are any Judas Priest songs he would like to perform live that he hasn’t had the chance to play with the band yet, Richie said:
“Well, [Priest producer and touring guitarist] Andy Sneap wants to do ‘Island Of Domination‘ from Sad Wings. We’ve never done that one — or I haven’t, rather. I’ve always wanted to do ‘Reckless‘. We did ‘Reckless‘ in rehearsals a couple of tours back, and for some reason we didn’t have enough time in the set. We had to cut some stuff out, whatever. I love ‘Reckless’, and hopefully I’ll get to do that one day. But there’s tons of them — those deep cuts. ‘Pain And Pleasure‘. ‘Fever‘ — I’d love to do ‘Fever‘. I love ‘Fever‘ from Screaming Of Vengeance. There’s loads of ’em. So, yeah, we’ll see what happens, man. I’ll try and get a Reckless in there or Island Of Domination. You never know.”
Beyond the album’s anniversary, April 2026 also marks a significant personal milestone for Richie Faulkner: his 15th anniversary since joining the heavy metal legends as the replacement for founding guitarist Kenneth “K.K.” Downing.
Looking back on his hiring, which was initially billed as part of a farewell run, and the band’s continued vitality, he shared:
“They lied to me, didn’t they? They said it’s a farewell tour. They lied. No, it’s brilliant, really. I can see how it happens. They love what they do, and the fans that have put ’em there for over half a century now, they’re really loyal. So you can see — you go out on the road, you go out on tour and you get fired up to do a record, and you go and do a record, get fired up to play the record live, and then the cycle repeats. So, it’s amazing, really. They’re still making new music, they’re still touring, and I think the world’s a better place for it. They’re still healthy. They still love what they do. They’re still killing it. I mean, Rob‘s [Halford, Priest singer] 74, 75 now; I lose track. 50 years sounds like a mistake to say. Him up there at 74, 75, it doesn’t compute that someone’s doing that. But there he is, at that age, doing what he does. It’s an incredible thing, really, and an inspiration to all of us, really.”
Exciter Records, alongside its publishing affiliate Reach Music and Judas Priest, has announced the upcoming release of highly anticipated 50th-anniversary special editions of Sad Wings Of Destiny. This massive archival project was made possible after the partnership successfully acquired the album’s master rights, finally returning creative control of the foundational work to the band.
Reflecting on the album’s enduring legacy, Judas Priest issued a collective statement regarding the upcoming reissues.
“Sad Wings Of Destiny was a defining moment for us as a band. It’s where we really began to shape the sound and identity that would carry through everything we’ve done since. To see it recognized 50 years on — and to have it presented in new editions — is incredibly meaningful.”
Exciter Records president Michael Closter shared his enthusiasm for the project.
“We’ve returned to the original master tapes for Sad Wings Of Destiny — untouched for decades — and we’re excited and honored to bring these definitive editions to fans worldwide.”
Further details regarding the release dates and specific package configurations will be revealed in the coming months.
Sad Wings Of Destiny Tracklist:
- “Victim of Changes“
- “The Ripper“
- “Dreamer Deceiver“
- “Deceiver“
- “Prelude“
- “Tyrant“
- “G**ocide“
- “Epitaph“
- “Island of Domination“
